Report Fugitive Ex-Monk Returns from Germany, Faces Temple Fund Charges

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Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

After seven years on the run, Phra Phrom Methee, a former assistant abbot of Wat Samphanthawong in Bangkok, has returned to Thailand to face charges related to a major temple fund embezzlement scandal. The 84-year-old, whose lay name is Chamnong Iamintra, arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport from Frankfurt early on Thursday morning.

 

Arriving in a wheelchair, Phra Phrom Methee was swiftly escorted to Bangkok's Anti-Corruption Division for questioning. His return marks a significant development in a case that shook the foundation of the Thai Buddhist community when it first emerged.

 

In 2018, a scandal erupted involving the embezzlement of millions of baht intended for temple development and Buddhist studies, with funds allocated by the National Office of Buddhism. Phra Phrom Methee was one among seven monks whose monastic ranks were revoked due to alleged involvement in the financial misconduct.

 

On May 24th of the same year, police conducted raids on Wat Samphanthawong, Wat Sa Ket, and Wat Sam Phraya in Bangkok, aiming to apprehend senior monks linked to the scandal. However, Phra Phrom Methee was in Phitsanulok province at the time and managed to evade capture. Instead of returning to Bangkok, he travelled to Nakhon Phanom, crossed into Laos via the Mekong River, reached Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, and finally fled to Germany on a Qatar Airways flight from Frankfurt.

 

Not only was he stripped of his monastic status, but he was also expelled from the Sangha Supreme Council, marking his complete fall from grace within the monastic community.

 

A police source indicates that Phra Phrom Methee faces charges of supporting malfeasance and money laundering. Despite denying all allegations, he was released on a bail set at 400,000 baht. His return and the ensuing legal proceedings are expected to shed more light on the extensive corruption case and its impact on Thailand’s religious and financial sectors. The nation watches closely as this high-profile case continues to unfold.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-06-06

 

 

[blaze master]

Yet so much anger the other day about the graffiti.